No Worms!!

Although my new allotment has a dark rich loam for soil and is apparently very good for growing crops, I dont seem to have have any worms. I think I've found about 10 while digging the whole plot.

Is this really bad and if so what should I do? Can a plot without worms function well?

I know that there was an outbreak of New Zealand flatworms in the plot about 5 years ago but they are all gone now.

 

Going by the photos you posted Sawfish your plot grew excellent weeds. I don't see any reason why it shouldn't grow equally good veg.

Worms help aeriate the soil and help break down vegetable matter, but I don't think they are essential.
You could try turning one of your compost bins into a worm bin and then you'll spread worms every time you use compost from it.

 

excellent idea! A neighbour here had the same problem, and he bought in the things from this lot - I think it was bracling worms, but I think there are 2 types you can get that help composting. Like Dave W says - there were some pretty impressive weeds in those photos!!http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/

 

my typing has gone up the spout - BRANDLING worms!! Sorry!

 

Glasgow? NZ flatworm history?

I doubt very much if they have been eradicated. They are 'orrible things. I first came across them in Northern Ireland (Lurgan Co. Armagh) and a garden I'm caring for at the moment has loads of them. The milder winters we've had lately has lead to them getting an even stronger foothold.

It's easy to tell if you have flatworms. Place black polythene 'traps' in contact with the soil weighted down with bricks or pieces of slab and they will soon be found curled up hiding underneath the poly. Egg cases are black shiny ovoids, something like a blackcurrant and can hatch out between two and 10 juveniles. Adults can survive without feeding for up to two years. They are tempreature and moisture sensitive. Above 20C or below 2C is supposed to kill them and they don't like open dry areas. If you have them you will find them lurking in damp cool corners. Also, don't be deceived by their curled up resting habit - they can move surprisingly fast! Ground Beetle and Rove Beetle are predators but there is so far no recommended chemical control as anything that will kill them will also kill earthworms. They do however succumb to Armillatox if they are congeregating in one small area such as round a compost heap.

Organic Earth: New Zealand Flatworm

More about 'em!

More

From my 'favorite' Flatworm site

"Chopping them up may not be enough to kill them as I have seen small pieces crawling away, although I don't know how long they would have survived as I didn't give them the chance! So grind them up between two stones, add to very salty or boiling water, or burn them - better still, do all four."

My add to above: I found some last Friday under a bag of compost and dropped them into a frozen bucket of iced water which saw them off!

 

Buying worms from your local fishing tackle supplier might be cheaper Sawfish.

Frogesque - Now you put the breeze up me - horrible things. Just pray I don't find any.
Thanks for the links!

 

good old armillatox!!

 

Dave W:

I know they are in Perth and Dundee and even one of the garden centres (Dobbies, Kinross) has found them. :(

The garden I work in with the problem does have a healthy earthworm population as well so there is probably a balance established. The open borders seem clear, it's round the walls, trees and compost heap they lurk.

I know I'm a fan but Armillatox is a port of last resort in this case, it does affect earthworms as well so should be used very sparingly. Great for drowning them in though :D

Anything I take from the compost heap gets put through a 6mm sieve and quarantined in bags before I use it.

 

Seems like a good case for growing your own if the GCs have got them. :rolleyes:

 

Thanks for the fantastic responses. I'll definitely think about a worm farm type thingy.

In clearing my plot I moved many dirty pieces of plastic and cleaned out lots of grubby corners and not one of these monsters did I find. Maybe the freezing Scottish weather is good for something and has killed them.

 

When you add farmyard manure [I call it muck] earthworms will arrive in great numbers. I know a few old gardens that have very dark soil a product from the days of coal fires. It seemed to be a way of getting rid of soot,ash etc, they don't seem to have many worms. Usually a good worm count means a well balanced soil with plenty of humas present. Adding home made compost will certainly improve the nutrient and soil ecology generally.

 

Seriously, Frogesque - re Armillatox - what sort of concentrations would be sensible? Or is that something we're not allowed to do? Let's say we want to clean the flatworms!! I had them in the lower level of my garden inHemel - sure enough, under binbags, black bins, pots, etc - I just hope I haven't brought any with me - but you can't be sure - I'm keeping my eyes open for them, and have warned the neighbours!

 

In a hypothetical case I would take the view that if flatworms are going to decimate earthworms anyway then cleaning a small area (say 1m x 1m) would be beneficial in the long run. Although it's fairly easy to dispose of adults when they are at rest, juveniles will be off like a bullet so if a trap has them it could be argued that a solution of cleaner (say 25ml in 5l) might get any missed.

I have to stress this is hypothetical and Armillatox is not recommended for this purpose.

 

It's useful to talk hypothetically at times, isn't it? Ta for the input, Frogesque.

 

Have you noticed the post in the sale section at the bottom of the categories, Sawfish? Brandling Worms for sale!!